Container closure retainer



Aug. 1939. c. J. LEHWALD 2,170,758

CONTAINER CLOSURE RETAINER Filed May 3, 1959 Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,170,758 CONTAINER CLOSURE RETAINER Carl J. Lehwald, Salem, Ohio Application May 3 1939, Serial No. 271,583

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to an improved container closure retainer, and is directed more particularly and specifically to an invention wherein a retainer is used in combination .with the screw cap closure for containers such as the collapsable tubes within which tooth paste, shaving cream etc. are marketed.

The primary object of the invention is accordingly that of providing means toprevent loss of a container closure after the same has been removed from the container. A

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is extremely cheap and simple of manufacture yet highly efficient in use.

Other specific objects, novel features of construction and improved resultswill appear in more detail from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing which illustrates the invention in enlarged or exaggerated form'to more clearly illustrate the device, 1

Fig. 1 is a view in sideelevation of the invention illustrating its application toa collapsable tube type of container. l v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper end of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, the closure cap being illustrated in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the upper end of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, the screw closure cap being illustrated as removed from the contalner.

Fig. 4 is a top plan or upper end plan view of Fig. 1.

Dropping and losing the closure caps of containers is a common occurrence and one found to be extremely annoying as the cap is often lost or rolls beneath a piece of furniture from which it is difficult to be retrieved. The present invention has been conceived and perfected to obviate this annoyance and to assure that the container cap is always secured to and readily at hand for reapplication to the container. In. the drawlng I have illustrated, and in the following specification described, the application of my invention to a collapsable tube such as is the usual form of container for tooth paste, shaving cream and like merchandise, but it is to be understood that the principle of the invention can be applied to any type of container provided with a screw cap closure with equally advantageous results and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For the purpose of more clearly illustrating the construction the drawing shows the container and cap in exaggerated size, but in that dimensions form no essential part of the invention the drawing adequately and truly discloses the improved construction which I utilize in obtaining the desired improved results.

The tube or container is designated as an entirety at A and is provided at its upper end with an externally threaded neck B through which the contents of the container are intended to be discharged. The closure or cap for the container is designated as an entirety at C and comprises a head I from which depends a tubular internally threaded portion 2 adapted to telescopically receive the threaded neck B of the continer. than the tubular portion 2 so as to provide an overhang 3.

The construction thus far defined is conventional and it is also conventional to so arrange the screw threads that the cap can be placed upon I or removed from the container by revolving it slightly more than one revolution.

A pliable yet fairly rigid wire is indicated at D and as clearly illustrated in the drawing this wire iscoiled about the tubular portion 2 of the closure and has one of its ends suitably secured as at 5 and its other as at 6 to this portion of the closure. The wire has contact with the closure only at the points 5 and 6. Throughout its length between the points 5 and 6 the wire is in spaced relationship to the tubular portion 2 and preferably the distance which separates the wire from the tubular portion is in the neighborhood of one-sixteenth of an inch. A flexible chain is designated at E and has one end suitably secured as at I to the container while the link 8 constituting the other end of the chain is threaded upon the wire.

In operation it will be seen that as the cap I is screwed on or off of the threaded neck of the container the free end of the chain travels on the wire and in no wise interferes with the free rotation of the cap. When the cap has been removed from the container it may be dropped with abandon by the user but will be securely retained to the container by the chain and remain handy for reapplication to the container when it is desired to close the outlet thereof.

It will be obvious that departures can be made from the exact construction illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention. As an instance, the chain E could be replaced by some other suitable instrumentality having in its end an eye which would slide or move freely upon the wire D. Attention is also called to the fact that The head I is of greater diameter the number of times the wire is coiled about the tubular portion 2 of the cap would depend upon the number of revolutions required to remove the cap from the container.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a device which is extremely simple and cheap of manufacture yet will accomplish the desired results. Due to the enlarged head of the cap I the overhang thereof serves to protect the wire D against the possibility of injury. This fiange of the cap is sufiiciently large to accommodate the fingers of the operator without the fingers touching the wire at all which again assures that the wire will not be disturbed or injured and that the fingers of the operator hot interfere with the travel of the retainer chain or link on the wire as the cap is manipulated.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, -a container provided with an outlet, a closure cap for said outlet rotatably applicable to and remcvable therefrom, a wire coiled about said cap, and a cap retainer secured to-said container and having an end freely movable on said wire.

2. In a device of the character described, a container provided with an outlet, a closure cap for said outlet rotatably applicable to and removable therefrom, a wire coiled about said cap and having its end secured thereto, that portion of the wire intermediate its ends being disposed in separated relationship to the cap, and a cap re tainer secured to said container and having an end freely movable over that portion of the Wire intermediate its ends.

3. In a device of the character described, a container provided with an externally threaded discharge neck, a closure for said discharge comprising a cap having a tubular internally threaded portion adapted to telescopically receive said container neck, a wire coiled about the outer face of the tubular portion of said cap and having its ends secured thereto, that portion of the wire intermediate its ends being disposed in separated relationship to the cap, and a cap retainer secured to said container and having an end freely movable on said wire.

4. In a device of the character described, a container provided with an externally threaded discharge neck, a closure for said outlet comprising a'cap having an internally threaded tubular portion'adapted to telescopically receive said container neck, an enlarged head at the upper end of the tubular portion of said cap, a wire coiled about the tubular portion of said cap and having its ends secured thereto, said wire lying wholly within the outer peripheral edges of said cap head and having all of its portion between its ends disposed in spaced relationship to the tube about which it is coiled, a cap retainer secured to said container, and said retainer having an end freely mova'ble'on said wire as the cap is rotated in its application to or removal from said container neck.

'5. A construction such as defined in claim 4, wherein the cap retainer is flexible.

6. A construction such as defined in claim 1, wherein the iiumber of convolutions of said wire isSIig-htTy in excess of the number of revolutions required to remove or apply said rotatable cap to said container.

;'7. adevi'ce of the character described, a container "provided with an externally threaded discharge neck, a closure for said discharge comprising a cap having an internally threaded tubular portion adapted to telescopically receive the neck of said container, a wire coiled about the tubular portion of said cap and having its ends secured thereto, said wire having the characteristic that its portions intermediate its ends remain disposed in separated relationship to the tubular portion of the cap about which it is coiled, a cap retainer secured to said container, and said retainer having a portion 'threadedly receiving said Wire and freely movable thereon as said cap is rotated to apply or remove it from the container.

8. In a device of the character described, a container provided with an outlet, a closure cap for said outlet rotatably applicable to and removable therefrom, a member coiled about said cap, and a cap retainer secured to said container and having an end freely movable on saidmember.

CARL J. LEI-IWALD. 

